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23 September 2019 | Story Xolisa Mnukwa | Photo Charl Devenish
Best dressed winner
The winners of the best dressed social media competition with Earl B (third from the left).
On 18 September 2019, the University of the Free State (UFS) hosted its first ever Multilingual Festival in an effort to promote a multilingual and multicultural environment for staff, students, and all stakeholders of the university. 

Staff, students, and other stakeholders of the university dressed in imibaco (traditional Xhosa apparel) ranging from white, yellow, red, and green, Diaparo tsa setso sa Sesotho, and traditional attire from other cultural tribes including Zulu, Swati, Ndebele, and Tswana, to name a few, were treated to various forms of celebration. The festival entailed visual-art displays, poetry, storytelling, drama, music, and song in the dominant languages spoken at the UFS, which are English, Afrikaans, Sesotho, isiZulu, and South African Sign Language, and food stalls selling dishes ranging from pap and braaivleis to koeksisters and milk tart. 

The audience were treated to short stories, including Magic on campus, written by Siphilangenkosi Dlamini and performed by Oliver Bongo; Xola Nhliziyo, written by Noluthando Portia Khumalo and performed by Ayanda Khanyile; and Grense, written by Joane Jansen van Rensburg. Nina and Palesa compiled a drama piece titled WTF is a relationship, poems included Mohlomong, written by Thabiso Lesaba and Lucky Mokeona, and Mosadi, written by Relumetse Makhatsane, N’kone Mametja, Abby Gabarone-Phate and Ayanda Khanyile.

Attendants had the opportunity to participate and win cash prizes ranging from R500 to R1 000 in various competitions and performances that took place during celebrations at the multilingual festival.

The winners for the mokete festivities are as follows:
Best artwork – Elaine Mahlalela and Kamogelo Mankuroane
Best short story – Siphilangenkosi Dlamini: Magic on Campus
Best poem – Thabiso Leshaba: Mohlomong
Best drama piece – Nina and Palesa

The best-dressed moketers for the 2019 #KovsiesMultilingualMokete were Joseph Sako, Evodia Mohoanyane, Karabo Lekomanyane, Tshepo Ramokoatsi, and Lungelo Mthimkhulu, who each walked away with R500 for their efforts to dress up and stick to the multicultural theme. Soet-Bravado (House Soetdoring and House Villa Bravado) won the most votes for their performance in the People’s Choice category, claiming R1 000 each. 

News Archive

PSP allows Dr Thom Wium to develop as an academic
2016-12-26

Description: Matildie PSP Tags: Matildie PSP 

For Dr Matildie Thom Wium, the
rewarding part of teaching is “the
moments of synergy with a group of
students” and when she senses that she
could, for instance, help them to better
understand a music selection.
Photo: Sonia Small

Being part of the Vice-Chancellor’s Prestige Scholars Programme (PSP) has opened doors for Dr Matildie Thom Wium. She is able to better plan her research, and the overseas trips she has to undertake for this helps to develop her skills.

The senior lecturer in the Odeion School of Music (OSM) at the University of the Free State (UFS) says these are some of the advantages the PSP holds for her.

She attended two international conferences this year – in London in January, and in New York in August. Furthermore, she is working on musical analysis with Prof Timothy Jackson at the University of North Texas, US from 12 September 2016 to 31 December 2016. Prof Jackson is a research professor and was one of her PhD promoters.

Conferences contribute to her vision
“I think the PSP is a fantastic initiative,” says Dr Thom Wium, whose husband Daniël Wium is a lecturer in Astrophysics at the UFS. She says the reseach support from the PSP is amazing. “In addition, the writing retreats offered by the PSP help to set time aside during the busy semester to work on articles.”

“I think the PSP is a fantastic initiative.”

The conference in London was on operatic practice in the 19th century. In the US, Dr Thom Wium, who has been working at the UFS since 2007, also participated in a panel discussion on this topic. “It means a lot for my vision as an academic to participate in conferences where I have the opportunity to meet and exchange thoughts with the people whose work I read and cite.”

Involvement in SA equally important
However, she believes that it is equally important to stay involved locally. At the conference of the South African Society for Research in Music, which was hosted by the OSM from 25 to 27 August 2016, she presented a paper on composer Arnold van Wyk and performed a song cycle by him. She did research on Van Wyk for her PhD.

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